Thanks--interesting read.
I could have used some of that at my son's conference today. I got the "they all even out in their rate of learning by 9 or 10". I respectfully disagreed but I don't think I made friends when I said that some children may appear this way because they are no longer challenged and end up justing learning how to be like everyone else.
Crisc - Oh My! ((Hugs!!!))
I'm guessing you were quite provoked by the time the conversation got there.
I'm sure you are correct, and it must ahve felt great to tell the Truth! But at what cost? Teachers have been lied to repeatedly and thoroughly. Remember the Saturday Night Live skits where Attilla the Hun gets told off and has an epifiny about leading Peacefully, and a spotlight speech, that ends in "Naaaaaaah" with the handguesture that wipes it all away?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you probably have some 'relationship repair' to start doing. I've BTDT too.
((Mind Trip Alert: Wasn't there a movie where Jack Nicholson starts screaming, "You Want the Truth? You can't handle the Truth!"))
Here's my schematic for dealing with people who believe a totally different and conflicting reality than mine. Start with were
they are. Imagine a set of steps that could lead to where you are without making them wrong at any step along the way, work on moving them toward's step one. More specifically, I have been in similar situations, and said things like: "Thanks so much for trying to reasure me, but his cousin and my brother actually accelerated their rate of leaning around age 10. Let's proceed on the assumption that once in a great while the rate issue stays, OK?
BTW - I didn't "win" even with all that careful speaking. After I had won the local level folks over to my side, the district send down a central player to quash it. So I am certianly not saying that verbal negotiation tactics work! Further - I hate to call 'begging' a negotiation. When I was advocating within the Public School system, I felt like they had all the power and I had none. I think the fact that Advocacy does work at all is a testimate to the teachers and School Admins following the highest human impulses.
There is a book called "Getting to Yes" that goes into negotiation tactics in more detail.
Sometimes a really really bad school meeting is the best thing that could have happend, because it makes 'Plan B' look better and better, and it turns out that 'Plan B' is so much better for the family than 'Plan A' could ever have been. That's what happened to us anyway.
((shrugs and
))
Grinity